South Korean coppers raided Samsung offices in Seoul after allegations that the company offered money to the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is a close friend of company President Park Geun-hye.

Raids were conducted on Samsung’s external affairs offices in southern Seoul. Documents related to the company's business with the Korea Equestrian Federation were confiscated during the raid, Yonhap news agency reported.

Choi's daughter was a member of the national team and the allegations are that Samsung provided €2.8m to a German that is owned by Choi to fund her daughter's equestrian team.

Nine places were raided – the Korea Equestrian Federation, the Korea Racing Authority and the residence of a Samsung official, the home of Park Sang-jin, chief of external affairs at Samsung and president of the Equestrian Federation.

The raid was conducted just five days after prosecutors interrogated an executive director at the group over suspicion that Choi collaborated with a former presidential secretary to push local companies to donate billions to two non-profit organisations.

The allegations suggest the money was illegally channelled to Choi, who is suspected of amassing profits thanks to her close ties with the president. It looks like some years it is not a good idea to get out of bed, Samsung is probably thinking it should have taken this year off.

Qualcomm has settled charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it hired relatives of Chinese officials who could influence the selection of its mobile technology products.

SEC looked into claims that Qualcomm provided “gifts, travel, and entertainment” to try to influence officials at government-owned telecom companies in China and then covered up the fact by recording that the things of value provided to the officials were legitimate business expense.

The chip company neither accepts nor denies the charges but has agreed to pay US$7.5 million to make the SEC go away. Qualcomm clarified that the settlement relates to its conduct before 2012 and the SEC action was not criminal . The Department of Justice recently closed its investigation on these matters without taking any action, it added.

Qualcomm is said to have provided full-time employment and paid internships to officials’ family members with the aim of obtaining or retaining business in China. The company obliged, for example, an official who asked Qualcomm employees to find an internship for her daughter studying in the U.S., acknowledging in internal communications that her parents “gave us great help for Q.C. new business development,” SEC said.

The company is also charged with providing a $75,000 research grant to a university in the US on behalf of the son of a foreign official so that he could retain his position in its Ph.D. program and renew his student visa.

The company subsequently hired the official’s son as an intern and later made him a permanent employee and sent him on a business trip to China, an opportunity to visit his parents over the Chinese New Year. In addition, a Qualcomm executive personally provided the son of the official with a $70,000 loan to buy a home, according to the SEC.

Samsung has had enough of corruption in South Korea and has decided to go on the attack, first getting its own house in order.

Lee Kun-Hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, said that an inspection of a group subsidiary found unspecified irregularities which led to the resignation of Oh Chang-Suk of Samsung Techwin, a defence and precision machinery unit. He was replaced by Samsung Electronics executive vice president Kim Cheol-Kyo.

Lee said that corruption and fraud at Samsung Techwin came to light only accidentally but I think it has spread throughout the whole group. He said that this was a growing source of concern for him and he is going to tackle it.

According to Yonhap news agency corruption in the group included taking bribes and hospitality from suppliers. However there was also pressure on junior staff to commit corrupt acts.

Lee called for appropriate penalties against wrongdoers and ordered executives to strengthen the auditing team.